Yes, I am not as young as I used to be, and that still raises the question as to where did all the energy go? Now, I find the stamina is just not there.
When I was with the Training Department for Bank of America in Southern California, I was on the road 3-4 weeks out of the month. That meant getting in the car or on a plane on Sunday or Monday and returning home Thursday night to be in the office on Friday.
This had a huge impact on my life. I got very used to having alone time to think, read, craft, and meditate.
I spent at least two weeks in New York City. I remember having the energy to go out with my students and friends to dinner and drinks. I did get to see several Broadway plays including Evita with Patty Lupone and Mandy Patinkin. That meant I was up until early morning and still got up bright eyed and bushy tailed to teach my workshop. I was often referred to as the “energizer bunny.”
Because the bank would pay full coach fares, I usually came home on the red eye after teaching all day and still got up on Friday and worked all day on paperwork. This was very boring work and easily could have induced sleep, but I had the energy to go out for dinner and a movie with my husband.
Are you getting tired just hearing about this or does it match your energy pattern?
Fast forward from there. I have become a mother as well as a wife, a business owner, a volunteer, a writer of blogs and workshops to name a few. I find that I still accomplish more in one day than many of my colleagues do in a week. However, there is a toll on my body, mind and spirit in doing that. At the end of the day, whether at home or on the road, I relish the quiet time; I don’t have the energy to go out to dinner, to a movie much less a play in San Francisco.
I really almost resent many of the networking meetings that are held at night or phone calls that are arranged after business hours. What has happened? How did I become such a homebody?
What I have learned is that the body needs self-care and self-love activities to recharge. When you don’t make those happen, the body shuts down. It is often when illness enters our lives to make us slow down and recover.
Perhaps through the lens of wisdom, I am discovering that energy needs to be used wisely and conserved in order to live my dreams fully and with passion.
Join me for my Dare2Dream Workshop – experience an intensive, hands-on workshop. Use your energy to create through your dreams a life that matters.
Something else I have learned as a business woman is to ask for what you want. If you loved what you just read, this content is not for free. As a form of payment, I am asking you simply to comment or share this on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter.
Linda Patten, MBA, BSN, RN has over 30 years of experience leading women to success in building and achieving their dreams. She turns networking marketing women from product sellers to leaders of highly functioning teams. To learn more about her innovative programs, click on Contact Us.